Exposure to heavy metals (HMs) is a threat to human health. Although probiotics can detoxify HMs in animals, their effectiveness and mechanism of action in humans have not been studied well. Therefore, we conducted this randomized, double-blind, controlled trial on 152 occupational workers from the metal industry, an at-risk human population, to explore the effectiveness of probiotic yogurt in reducing HM levels. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups: one consumed probiotic yogurt containing the HM-resistant strain Pediococcus acidilactici GR-1 and the other consumed conventional yogurt for 12 weeks. Analysis of metal contents in the blood revealed that the consumption of probiotic yogurt resulted in a higher and faster decrease in copper (34.45%) and nickel (38.34%) levels in the blood than the consumption of conventional yogurt (16.41% and 27.57%, respectively). Metagenomic and metabolomic studies identified a close correlation between gut microbiota (GM) and host metabolism. Significantly enriched members of Blautia and Bifidobacterium correlated positively with the antioxidant capacities of GM and host. Further murine experiments confirmed the essential role of GM and protective effect of GR-1 on the antioxidative role of the intestine against copper. Thus, the use of probiotic yogurt may be an effective and affordable approach for combating toxic metal exposure through the protection of indigenous GM in humans.ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: ChiCTR2100053222

Real-time temperature feedback in tissue based on photothermal therapy is an urgent problem to be solved in cancer treatment. Herein, a smart all-in-one nanoprobe THA@Eu-NMOF@Fe/TA was designed and assembled by postsynthetical functionalization of an Eu­(III)-based nanoscale metal–organic framework (Eu-NMOF) with a two-photon-absorbing β-diketonate ligand 4,4,4-trifluoro-1-(9-hexylcarbazol-3-yl)-1,3-butanedione (HTHA) and Fe­(III)/tannic acid assembly (Fe/TA). Such a functionalized material can simultaneously achieve the temperature-sensing and optical heating under a single beam of near-infrared (NIR) light. Under 808 nm laser excitation, real-time feedback of temperature by monitoring thermoresponsive fluorescence emission ratio (I 616/I 590) and fluorescence lifetime of Eu­(III) ions were realized. Meantime, Fe/TA served as the photothermal agent and antibacterial agent to implement photothermal therapy (PTT) and antibacteria simultaneously. The functions of the nanoprobe were proved with ex vivo experiments, and the antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria of the probe was also elaborately evaluated. Our work paves a new avenue for engineering a new cancer treatment probe which can achieve real-time temperature sensing feedback during PTT and antibacterial process.

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At present, diseases resulting from various reasons have been causing deadly fears to humans and previously incogitable losses to health. Meanwhile, the patient compliance has been weakening because of drug resistance and serious drug adverse effects. There is therefore an urgent need for the development of novel structural agents. Rhodanine derivatives have exhibited wide biological activities, as well as significant industrial applications, which suggests that rhodanine heterocycle represents a key structural motif in heterocyclic chemistry and occupies a prominent position in drug discovery. Here, we review some deadly defects of clinical medicines to the therapy of diseases and important advances on rhodanine derivatives in drug researches (e.g. as anti-diabetic, anti-viral, antiinflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-tumor agents and inhibitors for Alzheimer Disease), indicating that rhodanine heterocycle could be used as a significant pharmacophore to develop novel pharmacological active molecules. It is believed that the review is of importance for new ideas in the development of and rational designs of rhodanine-based drugs.

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